Can opener



April 4, 1939. F F, HOSMER A 2,152,887

' I GAN OPENER f v Filed May 29, 1957 Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFIGE 3 Claims.

Y My invention relates to a can opener, and the construction herein setforth is an improvement on the can opener patented by me January 28,1936, Patent Number 2,028,778, and also the can opener forming thesubject-matter of my application for United States Letters Patent ledAugust 7, 1935, Serial Number 35,075.

The principal objects of my present invention are, to generally improveand simplify the construction of the particular forms of can openerdisclosed in my aforesaid Letters Patent and application for LettersPatent, as well as other forms of similar can openers, further, toprovide a can opener having relatively few parts thereby minimizingproduction costs, and further, to provide simple and efficient means formaintaining the jaws on the forward ends of the handles in properrelative positions with respect to each other, particularly while theoperating parts of the opener are subjected to strains during the canopening operation, and further, to provide simple means for guiding thecan while the same is being rotated during the cutting and openingoperation.

A further object of my invention is, to provide means whereby the crankhandle that is utilized for driving the can rotating disc will be heldagainst swinging downwardly and thereby striking against the can afterthe hand of the operator has been removed from said crank handle.

With the foregoing and other objects in` view my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts thatwill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a can opener constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the can opener.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the jaws of the can opener, andwhich view is taken looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 inFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the plate used in my improved canopener.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevational view similar to Fig. 3 and showing amodif-led form' of the driving means.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates apreferred embodiment of my invention, I0 and II designate handlespreferably constructed from strap metal, and

which handles are spaced apart and substantially parallel with eachother, as illustrated in Fig. 1, when the device is being used to open acan.

Depending from the front end of the upper handle I I is a verticallydisposed leg I2, and pivotally connected to the lower portion of saidleg by means of a rivet I3 or otherwise, is a forward portion of handleIll.

Projecting forwardly from the lower end of the vertical leg I2 of handleI I is a jaw I4 that is substantially parallel with the handle I I, andprojecting forwardly from the pivoted end of handle I!) is a jaw I5 thatis slightly offset with respect to jaw I 4.

Formed integral with the lower edge of jaw I4 and projecting downwardlytherefrom on the same side with the jaw I5, is a lip or flange I6 thatprovides a bearing for the side of the can while the same is engaged bythe opener.

Rigidly xed in any suitable manner to jaw I4 directly above the lip I6is a rearwardly projecting tube I'I that provides a horizontal bearingfor a shaft I8.

Rigidly secured in any suitable manner to the front end of shaft I8,immediately adjacent the front face of jaw I4, is a disc I9 having atoothed edge that is adapted to engage the bead on the edge of a cantop, in order to impart rotary motion to said can as the toothed wheelis rotated.

Carried by shaft I8 and bearing against the rear end of the tube I'I, isa disc 2U, and secured on the rear end of shaft I8 adjacent this disc,is the inner end of a crank handle 2I, the outer end of which carries ahandle 22.

The outer portion of this crank handle is offset with respect to the endthat is connected to shaft I8, in order that the hand which manipulatessaid crank handle will not contact with the hand holding the handles I0and I I while the can opener is in use.

In order to hold the shaft I8 against rotation after the hand of theoperator has been removed from the crank handle, an expansive spring 23is arranged on the tubular bearing Il between the rear face of jaw I4,and the disc 20, such spring producing suiicient friction against thedisc to hold the shaft against rotation until the hand of the operatorengages and manipulates the crank handle.

Rigidly seated in jaw I5 directly above shaft I8, is one end of a shaft24, and rigidly secured to the rear end of said shaft, is the upper endof a depending arm`25, the lower portion of which is bifurcated toprovide a pair of ngers 26 that normally bear directly against the rearface of jaw |41 on opposite sides of tubular bearing I'I. This arm 25and its fingers 26 are for the purpose of maintaining the jaws I4 and I5in proper relation, particularly while said jaws are under strainsdeveloped while the can opener is in use. The length of the finger 26nearest the pivot I3 between the jaws is such that said finger is alwaysin contact with the rear face of jaw I4, even when the jaws are openedto their limit of movement.

Mounted to rotate freely on shaft or stud 24, is a solid wheel 2'I, aportion of the periphery of which is cut away to provide a groove 28that is positioned directly above the periphery of the toothed wheel rI9and said groove providing a space for the reception of the bead on thecan to which the opener is applied.

Positioned between the wheel 2l and jaw I5, is a substantiallyrectangular plate 23 of hardened metal having a notch 30, for theaccommodation of the stud or shaft 24, and said plate is detachablysecured to jaw I5 by screws 3! that pass through said jaw on oppositesides of the stud 24.

Formed integral with the lower edge of this plate 28, is a substantiallytriangular blade 32 having its lower inclined edge sharpened, and suchedge is positioned directly against the upper portion of disc I9, asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 4.

The forward lower edge of the blade 32 is provided with an integralpoint 33, which is adapted to puncture the top of the can and therebyenabling the sharp edge of the blade to more readily enter or cutthrough the can top when the opener is applied to the can.

Formed integral with the forward end of plate 29 and projectingrearwardly from its lower edge, is a short horizontally disposed lip 34,that provides a bearing for the bead on the upper edge of the can whilethe same is engaged by the opener. Y

In the use of the can opener just described, the handles are manipulatedso as to swing the jaws apart, and said jaws are positioned at the sideof the can just above the top thereof, and the opener is manipulated sothat the bead on the upper edge of the can overlies the toothed 'edge ofwheel 20. 'I'he handles are now brought together, and after the point 33has punctured the can top, further closing movement of the jaws willmove the sharp edge of blade 32 into or partially through the top of thecan. As the jaws II! and II are gripped in the left hand', the bead onthe upper edge of the can is engaged by the teeth of disc 20 and saidbead occupies the groove 28 in wheel 21. The handle 22 of crank 2| isnow engaged by the right hand, and said crank is turned, therebyimparting rotary motion to the shaft I8 carrying the toothed wheel I9and the teeth later engaging the rim on the can will rotate said canagainst the inclined sharp edge of blade 32, thereby cutting the can topclose to the bead on the edge of the can.

During this rotation of the can, the side of the same bears against theoutwardly presented lip I6 and the top of the bead bears against theunder face of lip 34, and thus the can is supported above and below thepoint where the blade cuts through the can top.

During the cutting of the can, or while the opener is under strains thatmight tend to spread the jaws I4 and I5 apart laterally, the iingers 25,that are secured to stud 24 that is seated in the upper jaw I5, bearagainst the rear face of jaw I4 and thereby counteracts any tendency ofthe jaws to separate laterally.

When the right hand is removed from the crank handle, the same willmaintain its position and not drop down onto the can, as a result of thefriction produced by the coil spring 23 which bears against the disc 20,that is carried by the shaft on which the crank handle is mounted.

It will be noted that in my improved can opener, the handles I0 and IIare elevated with respect to the tops of the cans that are engagedbetween the jaws of said handles, and thus the fingers of the left handwhich grips the handles are entirely above the plain occupied by thecan, with a result that there is no contact between the can and ngerswhile the opener is being used. Further, the particular shape of thehandles and jaws enables the opener to be conveniently moved downwardinto a container of hot water to grip and remove a can that is beingheated prior to the opening thereof, and such action being accomplishedwithout injury to the hand.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7, theshaft I8that is journalled in tube Il, and the latter being rigidly fixed to thelower jaw I4, has, rigidly secured to its rear end, a small gear wheel35, and lower jaw I4 is extended forwardly a sufficient distance toreceive a tubular bearing 36.

Mounted for rotation in this bearing is a small shaft or pin 31, and theend thereof that projects rearwardly of the tubular bearing 36 isthreaded, as designated by 38.

Screw-seated on the threaded end of the pin 31 is a pinion 39 thatmeshes with the larger gear wheel 35, and also mounted on the threadedend of the pin, is one end of a crank handle 40.

Thus motion is transmitted from the crank handle 40 to pinion 39, andthence through gear wheel 35 to the shaft I8 that carries the toothedwheel 28, and which latter engages the bead of the can to impart rotarymotion to the latter. Where this construction is employed, the sharpedge of blade 32 must be reversely arranged from the position itoccupies in the form of opener illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive,for, in the mcdied construction, the can rotates in the oppositedirection from that to which it rotates when engaged by the preferredform of the opener.

In the modied construction, an expansive coil spring 4I is mounted onthe tube I'I between the jaw I4 and gear wheel 35, so as to normallyhold the gear wheel and pinion against rotation, and consequently,maintaining the crank handle 40 against dropping downward by gravity,after the hand has been removed from said crank handle.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a can opener that isrelatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and veryeffective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved can opener may be madeand substituted for those herein shown and described withoutpdepartingfrom the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

`1. In a can opener, a pair of pivotally connected handles, jawsprojecting from the forward ends of said handles, a shaft mounted forrota- Cil tion in the lower jaw, manually operable means mounted foroperation on the lower jaw for imparting rotary motion to said shaft, atoothed wheel carried by the forward end of said shaft, a separatelyformed blade detachably secured to the upper jaw, the lower portion ofwhich blade overlies the upper portion of said toothed wheel andresilient means carried by the shaft on which the crank handle ismounted for holding the same against rotation until force is appliedthereto.

2. A can opener as set forth in claim 1 and with a can bearing liplprojecting rearwardly from said blade.

3. A can opener as set forth in claim 1, with means secured to the upperjaw and overlying the rear face of the lower jaw on opposite sides ofthe shaft that is mounted for rotation in the lower jaw for resistingstrains developed during operation of the can opener, and which tend toseparate the jaws laterally.

FRANK F. I-IOSMER.

